In 2018 Spider-Man came out and surprised the world. Everyone I talked to fell in love with Peter Parker and his story. Fast forward to 2020, we have a new generation of consoles and along side the PS5 launch we have Spider-Man: Miles Morales. I’m going to start by saying this, Miles Morales is the best Spider-Man game ever created.
When Sony first announced this game, I’m not going to lie I was a bit skeptical. Knowing that this game was not a direct sequel to 2018 Spider-Man broke my heart. There was also the fact that this game was going to be relatively shorter than the original game. As I booted up my shiny new console and I began swinging through through a now snowy New York, all of my doubts went away. This game feels like a tighter experience and that’s exactly what makes it fantastic.
The story in Miles Morales is simple. Miles is trying to stop a big corporate company from taking over his city. Along the way there will be twists and turns, but if you have seen a Marvel movie in the last ten years you will see these twists and turns coming a mile away. What makes this story stand out is the heart that every single character shares. The conversations that Miles has with different characters in this universe just feel natural. The pacing on this story is fantastic. Where Spider-Man 2018 struggled sometimes with the pacing, Miles Morales had no issues with this. Every single story quest kept me going making my brief play through fly by. By the time I reached the ending of Miles Morales I was left with mixed emotions, but I mean this in the best way.
The gameplay loop that you came to know and love back in 2018 is back and its better than ever. The move set that Miles Morales has is amazing. From going invisible to having electricity flow through his punches, everything felt unique in a way I was not expecting. You will still spend your time unlocking new suits, trying to collect all the collectibles and take down hideouts, but that’s not a bad thing. I am a sucker for collectibles and challenges so I am glad all of this is back on this game. As you upgrade your skills you can feel Miles become stronger and by the time you reach the end game you feel like a super hero and that’s the biggest compliment you can give this game. No skill point feels useless. Everything you unlock you will use. I am so addicted to this gameplay and loop that once I had beaten the game I went back to unlock everything.
2020 has been a great year for games and Spider-Man: Miles Morales is easily one of my favorite games of this year. With its shorter and tighter story, Miles Morales never overstays its welcome. I loved everything about this game. From the characters, the music, and the gameplay, Miles Morales blew all of my expectations and made me fall in love with this franchise all over again. If these are the kind of experiences we are to expect from Sony this generation then count me in, I cannot wait to see what they in store next.